STAMFORD -- They are exactly where they wanted to be. They are exactly where they expected to be.

The Class S state football playoff quarterfinal game against North Branford on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. is not an opportunity the Trinity Catholic High School football team takes lightly.

"To get to a state football playoff game, we're all very happy to be here. This is a great reward for these players. I'm just the guy who wants to be here every year," Trinity Catholic football head coach Pete Stokes said. "We're very glad we are one of the special teams that was still practicing Friday and Saturday. Our new goal is to still be practicing on Wednesday. This is a special thing for the entire Trinity Catholic community."

Indeed. The Crusaders have been packing away the football gear on Thanksgiving night every year since they won the Class S title in 1993.

No. 6 Trinity Catholic (8-2) will face an immense challenge when it travels to North Branford's Colifeti Field Tuesday evening.

No. 3 North Branford is 10-0 including a 32-28 Thanksgiving Eve triumph over Hyde Leadership, the No. 5 team in Class S.

The Thunderbirds also still have the memory of the 22-19 home loss to Northwest Catholic in last season's Class S quarterfinal as motivation.

"Last year we were 9-2 and a junior dominated team," said North Branford's 11-year football head coach Mark Basil. "The state loss didn't sit well with our kids. There were tough calls and a lot to overcome in bad weather that night. But it propelled our team to do all the work to get a home state playoff game this year."

The extra work also extended to the North Branford coaching staff.

"We thought that Trinity Catholic could be one of our possible Class S state opponents in the preseason. Our staff saw Trinity Catholic live three times this year," Basil said.

"They have size. They have multiple running backs. They have a quarterback who can throw. And defensively, they really get after the ball well."

Basil is also familiar with a Pequot Sassacus team meeting an FCIAC opponent. Basil was a fullback, strong safety and a captain on the 1982 then-Andrew Warde High football team. Trinity coach Stokes was a stalwart on the 1985 then-Stamford Catholic High grid squad.

Playing under the lights, it will also be a chance for Trinity Catholic's 15 seniors to shine. The Crusaders' senior running backs Shaquan Howsie and Shawn Brown along with sophomore Randy Polonia will probably do the heavy lifting offensively.

North Branford's offense this season has passed for 2,429 yards and rushed for 2,063 yards under the direction of senior quarterback and coach Basil's son Brandan Basil.

"We've had great balance offensively the past two years. What we see from the defense dictates what we do," Coach Basil said. "Brandan was around the team a lot when he was young. Our relationship hasn't been different or difficult.

"He calls me coach where we're on the field. It's been easier that I thought it would be."